Directors beware, as Tadej Pogacar suggests change: "I always say that"

Even if he does not appear in action and even if he may not want it himself: Tadej Pogacar often appears to be the center of attention. The Slovenian world champion is currently staying in Gran Canaria and there he suggested a previously discussed change, which he believes would not only help himself complete a rare trilogy, but also please other riders.

He has already won the Tour de France four times, thanks to another victory last summer, and he managed to win the Giro d'Italia on his debut last year. That leaves the Vuelta a España, which he competed in once, as the only Grand Tour he has not won. His debut in the Vuelta was his GT-debut, in 2019. The then 20-year-old Pogacar finished third.

Since then, he did not return to the Tour of Spain. What would it take to return to the Vuelta? "I always say that if they swapped the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta, it would be much better in terms of weather conditions and the number of riders that could be present," Spain's AS managed to note.

So the 2026 Vuelta does not seem to be in the cards for Pogi either. The Tour of Spain might have ended in Gran Canaria next year, but with Israel-Premier Tech not being excluded, the island is abandoning the idea. " A shame," Pogacar said, "but cycling races are not the highest priority."

Which races Pogacar will ride next year is becoming increasingly clear. The world champion previously announced he would return to Milan-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix, the two Monuments he does not yet have on his palmares. So the Slovenian is only too happy to try and change that.

In both classics, Pogacar may well find himself up against Remco Evenepoel in 2026. Indeed, the Belgian's debut at Milan-Sanremo seems to be taking shape. "He is a rival to keep an eye on and with a chance to win," Pogi looks ahead to a possible clash with the three-time world time trial champion.

Other than that, Pogacar will obviously focus on the Tour again, which he said after looking at the course that the changes are "nothing special," as it will still be three weeks full of "climbs and tough stages". In any case, after the Tour, the focus is on the Worlds. "It will be very nice and hard to win," Pogacar looks ahead to a possible third rainbow jersey in Canada.

So the hunger remains high for the two-time world champion, although it is not always easy. "I wouldn't say it's harder to stay motivated, but the pressure is different and the stress around you changes. When you have seasons like last year, it's hard to come back next year and do even better," he points out.

"From my perspective, it's a problem if I perform less next season. You try to reach the same level, get the same results and show that you can do it again," Pogacar thus takes the same ambitions into 2026. Whether the Slovenian is capable of another such miracle year remains to be seen.